Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF): Removal of the posterior bone of the spinal canal, retraction of the nerves and removal of the disc material from within the disc space, followed by insertion of bone graft and sometimes hardware in order to fuse the bones. This procedure is called an 'interbody fusion' because it is performed between the 'bodies' of the vertebral bones and across the diseased disc space. This procedure typically is performed on both sides of the spine.